German premiere: first “Wind + Storage” innovation project to be implemented shortly

A milestone project for the German energy transition will be built around 100 kilometers northeast of Berlin in the Randowtal municipality (Uckermark). Juwi, the Wörrstadt-based specialist for project development and operations management, is about to build two multi-megawatt-class wind turbines and a battery storage facility in the Schmölln II wind farm within the next few weeks. In September 2020 the company won a bid for this innovative project in the Federal Network Agency’s first nationwide innovation tender. Until now, it is the only “Wind + Storage” project of this kind in Germany. The electricity is reimbursed with a fixed market bonus as well as with a so-called Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that juwi developed jointly with MVV Trading GmbH. Project and PPA has now been acquired by Hamburg-based CEE Group.

"We are delighted that we successfully secured the project thanks to our tendering expertise," emphasizes juwi board member Dr. Stephan Küßner. “The award for the wind energy storage combination indicates our innovative approaches to the grid integration of renewable energies."

The CEE Group, asset manager for renewable energies and buyer of the project, also considers this combination an important next step for the energy transition. Detlef Schreiber, CEO of the CEE Group, explains: “Security of supply and grid stability are key challenges in the energy transition. The interaction of energy generation and energy storage within one renewable energy project indicates a solution for this particular challenge. For that reason, we decided early on to acquire this project from juwi with a suitable PPA from MVV Trading. We have a longstanding, extremely successful collaboration with juwi, which is continued in this innovative project. "

The on-site infrastructure is currently being prepared for the construction of the two Vestas V136 wind turbines, each with an installed capacity of 3.6 megawatts. The system components are to be delivered and installed from mid-November, so that commissioning can take place by January 2022. While this part of the project is more of a routine activity for the more than 25-year-old juwi group, the construction of the additional storage unit is uncharted territory in Germany. Planned is a lithium-ion storage unit with a capacity of almost three megawatt hours from Samsung and the corresponding measurement and control technology. The components will be integrated into a standard container (1 x 40 feet) and a 20-foot frame for the power station. “With this solution we are able to feed the electricity more consistently into the grid than before, especially in times of low wind," Frank Elbers, juwi project manager, explains. The storage facility will be built towards the end of the wind turbine construction phase. The commissioning of the storage facility is scheduled after the commissioning of the wind turbines.

Not only the technical concept is innovative. When it comes to project financing, juwi is also breaking new ground with its parent company MVV and its partner CEE Group. In addition to the fixed market bonus that juwi secured for a period of 20 years as part of the innovation tender in September 2020, the future operator CEE Group also benefits from the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which juwi and MVV offer for an initial period of ten years. "In addition to several post-EEG power purchase agreements and numerous PPAs abroad, this is already the second German project with PPAs for us," emphasizes Frederik Faißt, Head of Project Financing at juwi AG.

MVV Trading acquires the electricity from the wind park developed by juwi and takes over the marketing of the flexibility that comes from the additional battery storage operated by CEE at a guaranteed fixed price over the PPA’s ten-year term. “The marketing of wind power over a period of 10 years as part of a PPA poses special challenges for an energy trader. And to implement this in combination with a marketing solution for the flexibility from an associated battery storage system was a very special challenge”, says Stefan Sewckow, Managing Director of MVV Trading. Sewckow continues: "We are proud to be able to contribute to the success of the energy transition with this product solution."

The debt financing for the project was taken over by The Berliner Volksbank.

The project partners juwi, CEE Group and MVV Trading will sign the contracts for the project on September 15th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the joint booth of MVV, juwi and Windwärts in Hall 4, Booth 4C10, and will also respond to questions afterwards.

From September 14th to 17th, interested parties will find juwi, MVV and Windwärts at their joint stand in Hall 4, Stand 4C10.